


Nexus

by kittys_devil



Category: Isaac Carpenter (Musician), Tommy Ratliff (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Community: angst_bingo, Community: fanfic100, Community: hc_bingo, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, tjrbb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-28
Updated: 2012-09-28
Packaged: 2017-11-14 23:42:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/520740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittys_devil/pseuds/kittys_devil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Born as Gamma wolves Tommy and Isaac were going to be warriors. When Isaac discovered a hidden talent and Tommy disappeared everything changed in a way they never expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nexus

**Author's Note:**

> fills for fanfic100 : sixth sense, angst_bingo : wild, kidnapping/abduction, hc_bingo : dungeons
> 
>  
> 
> This is in the same world as Left for Dead but it is not necessary to read that fic. Thank you to va_bites for making gorgeous art and for being a great cheerleader! Thank you to valress for helping me work out this idea and to casey270 and tommyglitter for amazing beta work and pushing me to make this so much better! Finally, thank you SO MUCH to the mods for the tjrbigbang challenge, I loved doing this so much!!
> 
> Make sure you check out the amazing artwork that va_bites did [here](http://va-bites.livejournal.com/7594.html).

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

 

 

Tommy’s grandfather told him stories about his life when he was young for as long as Tommy could remember. It was a time when werewolves lived as humans and fought their once-a-month change. They went so far as to lock themselves in cages instead of living as free wolves. Tommy was happy that he lived in a time when he didn’t have to hide what he really was and humans accepted him. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like having to push his wolf down more often than not. Tommy was proud of what he was, a wolf who was part of a thriving pack. He wasn’t as the Alpha or Beta, but he wasn’t shunned like the Omega either. He was going to be a warrior just like his father: one of the protectors of the pack. Tommy and his best friend Isaac had spent hours talking about the great warriors that had come before them and the training they would both start once they came of age.

He was excited and nervous about the training he was going to start soon. His insomnia had gotten worse over the last month as he got closer to coming of age. When he couldn’t sleep, he would replay the stories his grandfather had told him in his head. They were so much a part of him. He knew them all by heart. Tommy could hear his grandfather’s soft voice telling the stories as if he were sitting in the same room with him. Usually the familiar words would put him to sleep, but tonight his wolf was restless as Tommy tossed and turned in his bed. Tommy wasn’t sure what was making his wolf extra restless tonight. The full moon had just passed, but still his wolf pushed against his skin almost as bad as the time he’d tried to fight the change. It was as if his wolf could sense something but couldn’t figure out what.

Carefully Tommy climbed out of his bed and crept down the stairs. His wolf had been chanting _run, run, run_ at him for over an hour, and at this point, he figured it was worth a try. Tommy quietly slid the lock on the back door and let himself out. He stripped out of his clothes, folded them and placed them on the bench before he stepped off the deck and shifted to let his wolf out.

Tommy’s paws pounded against the ground as he moved past the grass and through the trees. His wolf felt freer than it had in some time. The restlessness that Tommy had felt in his room was gone as he ran through the woods. He didn’t have any particular goal, other than to stay inside the borders. He was a cub until he was eighteen. It didn’t matter if that was only a week away. Tommy knew that if he were found roaming alone this late at night it could mean a lot of trouble for him, especially if it was by someone outside of their territory.

As the sky started to turn lighter, Tommy headed back toward his house. He was sure if his mom found him out running again when he was supposed to be sleeping, he was going to get more than the look of disappointment he’d gotten the last time she caught him. Tommy shifted and hopped onto the porch to quickly dress before heading back to bed. His restlessness was gone, and he was asleep just moments after his head hit the pillow.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

“Tommy!” Isaac shouted as he poked his friend again to get him to wake up. “Get your ass out of bed!”

“’m sleeping,” Tommy mumbled as he pulled the pillow over his head to block out the light. “Why are you even in my room?”

“Cause it’s the middle of the afternoon. We gotta talk. Like now!” Isaac said with a shout as he pulled at Tommy’s ankles until he fell out of bed.

“Fucker! I‘m up now. What’s so important that you had to knock me out of bed?” Tommy grumbled as he got up from the floor.

“Not here,” Isaac said in a hushed voice. “C’mon get some pants on, and we can shift in the woods.”

Tommy grabbed the jeans that he’d tossed on the floor the night before and slipped them on, wondering what had made Isaac so antsy to get him out of the house.

“Be home later, mom,” Tommy said as he brushed her cheek with a kiss on the way out of the house, Isaac following right behind him.

“Just be home for dinner,” she yelled out after him as they ran off the porch.

Isaac had his shirt pulled over his head as soon as they were past the tree line. Usually Isaac didn’t feel the need to shift as urgently as Tommy did when something bothered him. They tossed their clothes in a pile by a tree and shifted. Isaac took off first, and Tommy followed as they ran toward the caves. They’d found a hidden room in one of the caves when they were about ten, and it immediately became theirs. It was the one spot they could escape everything and be on their own.

When they got to the cave, they shifted back and quickly found the clothes they had stashed. When Tommy turned around, he found Isaac pacing back and forth as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Dude? What’s going on? You’re really starting to freak me out,” Tommy said as he grabbed Isaac’s wrist to stop him from moving.

Isaac looked up at Tommy and let a huff of air out. Tommy could see the unsettled look on his face, and he just wanted to wrap his friend up in his arms. As if Isaac could sense what Tommy was thinking, he shook Tommy’s hand off him and sat down against the wall. Tommy walked over, and sat next to him without saying a word.

“It’s just, we were going to start training together. It turns out I’m not a Gamma. I mean I am, but I’m more.” Isaac paused as if he were collecting his thoughts. “I knew when Dad called the Alpha it was something, but I never thought it would be this. Eber said I’m a Shaman. It’s rare to have one. Our pack hasn’t had one in four generations. How am I going to handle this?”

“You sure? Ok, like I’m sure Eber would know, he’s the Alpha and all, but how do you know?” Tommy asked trying to wrap his head around how so much had changed since last night.

“Trust me?” Isaac asked, finally looking up at Tommy.

“Always,” Tommy replied without a second thought.

Tommy watched as Isaac reached for his arm with his left hand as his right hand shifted just enough so his claws came out. Isaac ran his claw along Tommy’s arm, cutting open the skin.

“Fucker!” Tommy shouted out as he tried to get out of Isaac’s grip.

“Tommy, sit down. Just give me a second,” Isaac said as he closed his eyes.

Isaac moved his hand over the cut, and it seemed to disappear.

“Fuck,” Tommy whispered, shocked that in just a few moments his arm looked like the cut had never been there.

“Yeah,” Isaac answered, his voice sounding as surprised as Tommy’s.

Tommy had so many questions, but he knew he could ask them later. He wrapped an arm around Isaac and pulled his friend to him. This changed everything that they had grown up believing.

“This isn’t going to change anything,” Tommy said softly. He just hoped Isaac believed the lie as much as Tommy wanted to.

It was only days later that Eber announced it to the pack with his son Adam at his side. The official welcoming ceremony was to be at the next full moon. Tommy just rolled his eyes over all the formality that Isaac had to go through. He wanted to take Isaac away to the caves, pretend like they were ten again, without a care in the world. Tommy’s wolf felt a need to keep Isaac to himself in a way that Tommy couldn’t quite figure out.

The Lamberts gave Isaac books to read from their family library about his newly acquired magic. It turned out that he had an affinity over fire, of all things. They then arranged for him to study with a Shaman from another pack to learn to control his powers.  
Tommy hated that Isaac wasn’t around. In his absence, Tommy threw his all into the long grueling days of training and fighting with the rest of his pack mates. It wasn’t long before Tommy was the quickest and sharpest fighter the pack had seen in some time. When he wasn’t training, he was working out to increase his strength. These were the only times he could ignore how much he missed and needed Isaac.

Isaac was changed when he returned. He was confident with his new ability. Tommy watched in awe as Isaac healed the injuries of pack mates and spoke with the Alpha about the things he sensed with his new connection to the elements, especially fire. Being the Shaman took up most of Isaac’s time, and Tommy missed his best friend. Some days he would intentionally slip up during practice, knowing that an injury would get him sent to see Isaac.

“You need to stop, Tommy,” Isaac scolded him one night after he had healed a small cut. “One of these times you’re going to end up with a serious injury.”

“The others don’t really go after me. You know that. It’s just practice. I miss you, man. I feel like we never see each other.”

“It’ll get better soon. It can’t get any worse, right? I mean it, Tommy. No more slip ups on purpose okay?” Isaac insisted, smiling at Tommy.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll be good,” Tommy said with a smirk as he hopped down from the bench. “Shit, gotta get home! Night!”

“Night, Tommy,” Isaac yelled as Tommy ran out the door.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

Tommy’s pack shared their territory with another pack. It wasn’t common, but it had something to do with the Lambert’s family line and having to split the land. All he needed to know was that Eber was his Alpha, Adam would take over the pack at some point, and when they were threatened, the two packs fought as one.

That was how Tommy ended up tracking a foreign scent through the trees with Frank, one of the small warriors from the other pack. Frank had made some joke about the small and mighty needing to stick together when Eber sent the two of them off toward the east. They’d been out for hours, and Tommy was sure they were getting close to the edge of their boundary.

The hairs on the back of Tommy’s neck and back stood up as a new scent filled his senses. He let out a low rumble as if he were scaring off anyone that might be hiding in the trees. Tommy walked carefully toward the scent that had caught his attention. He was sure that Frank was right behind him. It seemed like the scent was moving, but Tommy couldn’t hear any sounds.

He stopped suddenly when he realized that he hadn’t heard anything for some time. He looked around and had no idea where he was. He was alone, and everything was unnaturally quiet. Tommy lifted his nose and tried to get Frank’s scent but couldn’t smell it anymore. He turned to walk back the way he came, but before he took more than a handful of steps, he felt pain shoot through his body. Blood started to drip out from his shoulder where he’d been shot with a dart that seemed to dig even further into Tommy without him moving. Tommy looked around but didn’t see anything. A feeling of nausea moved through his body, and everything started to feel fuzzy. He was sure that there had to be some kind of drug on the tip. He just hoped that somehow he would make it out of there still alive.

_Isaac..._ His wolf called out in desperation as his eyes slipped shut, his body overcome with pain and poison.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

Isaac woke up from a deep sleep calling out Tommy’s name. Tommy was hurt. He didn’t know how he knew, just that he felt a sharp pain that seemed to be coming from Tommy. He never expected anything like this. There was nothing in his training about having a connection this strong with his pack members just because he was the Shaman. The only link that was this strong was one between mates. The word mate rolled around in his head as he walked toward the bathroom for water. He took a sip before looking up at his reflection.

“It’s not possible. We can’t be,” Isaac whispered to himself.

There was no way he could have a mate bond with Tommy. Sure, he’d felt a pull toward Tommy when he got back from his training, but he didn’t give it a lot of thought. It had been the first time he’d been away from Tommy since they were born. It was just natural for him to miss his best friend.

However, as he stood in the bathroom he had to wonder. Isaac wasn’t against having Tommy for a mate. He’d had a small crush on him for years but never wanted to chance fucking up their friendship. If what he felt were true, if they really were bonded mates, everything would change for them. He couldn’t think about that right now, though. He had to find Tommy. Something was wrong. Isaac just hoped it wasn’t as bad as he feared.

Isaac made it to the Lambert’s door in record time. He pounded his fist against the wood, fighting the urge to break the door down. When in swung open, he was face to face with Adam, who had a confused expression on his face.

“Isaac?” Adam asked as he rubbed his eyes. “What’s going on? It’s like 3am.”

“Yeah, sorry, I gotta talk to your dad,” Isaac replied as he walked into the house, not even waiting for Adam to invite him in. “Tommy’s not back yet, is he?”

“No, but how did you know that?” Eber asked as he walked down the stairs. “What happened, Isaac?”

“I was sleeping and woke up calling Tommy’s name. I can feel him. I can feel the pain he’s in, and his fear. It’s like we have a mated bond.” Isaac paused and looked away as his face blushed. “But we haven’t, yeah...um...mated or anything. So I don’t know how or why, but I _know_ I feel Tommy and that something isn’t right.”

“Let’s sit in here,” Eber said as he led Isaac and Adam into his office.

Isaac followed and sat in a red leather chair as Eber sat behind his desk, and Adam sat next to him. He saw the candle sitting on the table, reached over and lit it. He felt the power of the small flame and relaxed a little.

“Tell me exactly what you feel, Isaac,” Eber said.

Isaac took a deep breath and looked between Eber and Adam. “It was weird at first, I thought it was just part of a dream or something. But it only took me a moment to realize it was more than that. It was almost as if Tommy were calling out to me in my sleep. He’s hurt and in a lot of pain. He’s fuzzy too, almost as if he’s drugged. I don’t think he just got hurt. I think someone has him.”

“Shit,” Adam breathed out. “So, do you have any idea where he is, like any clues or anything?”

“Nothing, other than he’s hurt. Have you ever heard of anything like this before, Eber?”

“No but every Shaman is a little different; you know that much. Maybe because you and Tommy have always been so close, the magic pulled the two of you together. You and Tommy were a lot closer than most pack cubs when they’re young.” Eber paused and looked at Isaac. “I know you’re aren’t going to like this, Isaac, but you need to get some sleep. I hope that in the morning, you’ll have a better connection, and we can get some clues about where Tommy is. I don’t want to send out my pack on a suicide mission. There’s no way to know if whoever hurt Tommy isn’t waiting for the rest of us.”

Isaac nodded as he tried to push his wolf down. It was calling out for Tommy. He needed to be near the man in a way Isaac hadn’t experienced before. His wolf wanted to touch him and feel his body close to his own. Tommy’s heartbeat seemed to be running through Isaac’s body, almost as strong as his own. Isaac could feel how scared Tommy’s wolf was even if Tommy wasn’t sure what was going on. Both wolves seemed to be crying out for their mate. Isaac knew what happened when mates were separated, the pain and empty feeling that would take over both wolves.

“…OK?” Eber asked, and Isaac realized that he hadn’t been paying attention.

“Sorry, what?” Isaac replied.

“You can stay here, and we can talk more in the morning. All right?”

“Yeah, that will work,” Isaac said as he was overcome with a yawn.

Eber laughed and stood up to leave the room. “Get some sleep,” he said as he patted Isaac’s shoulder. “We’ll find him soon. I promise. You can stay in the spare room. We’ll figure out more in the morning.”

Isaac didn’t say much as he followed Adam up to the room. His mind was focused on Tommy. He was hurt, and Isaac was more than convinced that someone had taken him. He wanted to run, take off in the woods and find Tommy, but he knew that Eber was right. It would just be a suicide mission. Adam showed Isaac to the spare room before he left Isaac to get some sleep. Isaac flopped onto the bed and tried to sleep. He tossed and turned as his wolf pushed to get out, to run, and to find his mate.

“Mate…” Isaac whispered softly and felt a small tear at the corner of his eye. This was all so much to take in, and the one person that Isaac really wanted to talk to about everything was missing, hurt and alone.

By the time that Isaac awoke, there was a conference in the kitchen. Gerard, the Alpha from the other pack, was there along with his Beta, Mikey. Randal, Eber’s Beta wolf, was sitting next to him at the table as well as a few of the older warriors. Isaac saw another wolf sitting near Gerard and looked at him wondering why he was here.

“Isaac! Did you get any sleep?” Eber asked, his voice full of concern.

“Yeah, thanks. Umm is there coffee?” Isaac mumbled as he moved further into the kitchen. He had been to the house many times, but he didn’t feel comfortable enough to just help himself to anything.

Adam jumped up and grabbed a mug before pouring a cup for Isaac. Eber motioned for Isaac to join him at the table. Isaac felt overwhelmed by all of the Alphas and Betas in the room. He knew it was something he had to get used to, but it still boggled him that they wanted his input on the pack.

“Isaac, this is Frank. He was out with Tommy yesterday,” Eber said when Isaac had almost finished his coffee.

“But how? He looks fine. How did Tommy get hurt and taken if he’s sitting here unharmed?” Isaac hissed angrily.

“We got separated, I don’t know how, but we did. When I found his scent again, all I saw was a few blood drops. I searched the area before coming back, but I couldn’t pick up his scent,” Frank said apologetically.

“So, now how are we going to find him?” Isaac asked as he locked eyes with Eber.

He could feel his Alpha willing him to calm down. He was pissed! Frank was fine, home with his pack without a scratch, and Tommy was gone. He just wanted to run, forget the careful planning and find Tommy. Isaac could feel his body getting tenser as he sat there listening to everyone around him talk about Tommy and how to find him. They didn’t understand the _need_ Isaac had to be with Tommy. It was so powerful, almost overwhelming, especially with the pain he seemed to be getting from Tommy.

“Isaac!” Eber growled out, and Isaac snapped his head up. He hadn’t been paying attention, his anger building as he thought about what he couldn’t do right now. “I need to know what you feel, what you can get from Tommy. Go home. Find somewhere you can focus and see what you can figure out.”

Isaac nodded and left to pick up a few things from home. He figured that the caves would be the best place to go. After all the time they had spent together there, he thought it would be a stronger connection. He entered the cave and set his bag onto the ground. It was so weird to be there without Tommy. Isaac could only remember a few times when he was there by himself.

He pulled the seven candles from his bag and arranged them in a circle. He lit them one by one, feeling the flames connect with him. He lit the last candle, stepped into the circle and sat down. Taking several deep breaths, Isaac ran his fingers over his grandfather’s feather necklace as if he were channeling help from the elders of the past to find Tommy. He willed his body to calm down and focus on Tommy. He closed his eyes as his muscles relaxed. Everything around him was still and quiet.

Not knowing how to call to Tommy, Isaac thought about his friend. _Mate_ his wolf corrected as his mind drifted to images of them growing up.

 

[](http://photobucket.com)

  
  
_“C’mon Isaac! It’s not too much further! You have to see what I found,” Tommy yelled as he ran past another tree. “It’s so awesome! And it’s gonna be just ours!”_  


_“I don’t know, Tommy. What if the elders find out? You know my mom is still pissed at me for shifting and taking off with you to look for the hidden graveyard, which we never even found!” Isaac yelled back as he ran faster to keep up with Tommy._

_“It’s gonna be awesome! Just wait until you see it!”_

_“Caves? You know this is close to the border! If mom finds out, she’s really gonna lose it!” Isaac yelled as he scrambled up the rocks._

_“So don’t let her find out. We need something that’s just ours; away from Lisa and Jason and everyone,” Tommy said as he slowed down. “Plus, even if the elders or our parents come, they won’t find this.”_

_“I don’t even want to know how you found this.”_

_“I have my ways!” Tommy laughed as he slipped through a small space between the rocks. “Now get your butt over here!”_

Isaac smiled as he remembered following Tommy into the opening of the cave he’d found. It was just like everything else Tommy had ever talked him into, fun and amazing unless they were caught. He loved that Tommy was bold and daring, everything that Isaac wanted to be but wasn’t. He figured out a long time ago that was part of what made them work so well together. Isaac took in another deep breath and let it out again.

He let his mind wander, his head filled with images of Tommy as they grew up together. An image of Tommy and Frank walking away together flashed into his head, and his body was filled with pain. Suddenly, he was flooded with images of Tommy in some kind of underground dungeon. Isaac could see the bars and dirt floor with an old mattress. He could feel Tommy’s wolf fighting to get out and away from the cage. Tommy was scared. He had no idea where he was or why he was taken. Isaac tried to push the connection to find more, but the images and emotions faded away. Isaac opened his eyes, out of breath and for the first time ever, afraid for Tommy.

Isaac put out the candles and grabbed his bag to head back to the Lambert’s house. It wasn’t much, but he hoped that it might give them an idea of where Tommy was.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

Tommy woke up cold and disoriented. He was lying on a dirt floor and had no idea where he was. He remembered being in the woods with Frank, following a scent and then the pain. A groan escaped as Tommy moved to sit up. He could see right away that he was in a basement that reminded him more of a dungeon. He was locked in a room with bars on one side like a jail cell. It was like the horror stories his grandfather had told him. He was a caged wolf and needed to get out.

“Isaac,” Tommy gasped.

His throat was rough, his head was pounding, and he felt pain in his shoulder. The pain he felt was nothing compared to the need he felt to find Isaac and not just for Isaac’s healing abilities. Tommy was cold and alone. Shivering, he wrapped his arms around himself, but all he wanted was Isaac’s warm arms around him. He could feel him in a way he never had before. Isaac was angry and scared. Tommy didn’t know why he was getting this flood of emotions suddenly from the other man. Tommy wanted to have Isaac close to him and take away his anger. Tommy’s wolf pushed against him as if it were asking him to find a way to soothe its mate.

“How the fuck?” Tommy asked the room, even though he was alone. “How do we have a mate bond?”

Tommy was sure he missed something, somewhere. Isaac was his best friend, but it had never been more than that. It wasn’t that Tommy hadn’t wanted that. He had always found Isaac attractive. His friend’s eyes were fearless and warm, locking gazes with him more often than not. Sometimes he wondered what it would feel like to have Isaac’s lips pressed up against his own. More than once Tommy had fantasized about Isaac’s arms, that had a hidden strength, holding him down. This was his best friend. He didn’t want to fuck that up over the lust he felt, yet somehow they bonded?

Footsteps coming from outside the room pulled Tommy from his thoughts. He looked up as someone set a tray down with some broth and bread. The man’s face was hidden, and he didn’t say anything as he turned to leave. Tommy didn’t even have the energy to try to stop him to ask why he was here. He crawled over to the thin mattress, removed the clothes he didn’t even remember putting on, and shifted. If he was stuck here, he was going to stay as a wolf to keep warm.

Curling into a ball to preserve what heat he had, Tommy fell into a restless sleep. His dreams were filled with thoughts of Isaac. His wolf kept calling out to the other man, calling his mate to help him. Tommy drifted in and out of sleep, wondering if Isaac could feel him, could do anything to get him out of the hell he was currently in. He needed Isaac; he needed his friend.

_Mate,_ his wolf supplied, and Tommy knew that there was no fighting it. He just had to believe that Isaac would find him and that they could figure out the whole mate thing later.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

It had been too long, too many days that the warriors had been searching and came up with nothing. Worry consumed Isaac. The need to be close to Tommy was taking over his life. He was afraid to shift, worried that his wolf would become even more frantic and take off on a rampage, killing everything in his path. Isaac’s wolf had never been violent in the past, but he knew the need his wolf had to keep his mate safe. Isaac had hoped that the connection would get stronger since he’d accepted it, but nothing changed. He couldn’t sense where Tommy was. There were no clues other than what he’d seen that first day in the cave. He started to spend most of his time there, including when he slept. Tommy was closer to him there. He wasn’t neglecting the rest of the pack, but his focus was still on Tommy. It had been almost a week, and they were no closer. Isaac felt his heart breaking every time the warriors came back with no news.

_Mate, mate, mate_ his wolf chanted almost constantly in his head now. It hurt, being away from Tommy for so long.

  
[ ](http://photobucket.com)   


Tommy paced in the cage as his wolf tried to fight the confines of the walls. Everything was wrong, especially the scent.

_Mate._ His wolf cried out once again, just as it had every night since he’d arrived. During the day, he could keep his wolf calm, but at night, everything was worse.

Tommy shifted and let out a whimper of pain from being away from his mate for so long. Finally, he curled into a ball to try to sleep. Somehow, when he was a wolf the heartbreak seemed less intense.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

Isaac was worn down and exhausted, and he knew Tommy was even worse off. It was then that he knew what he had to do. With this realization his wolf settled. It knew he was going to find their mate. He left for the cave, just as he had done every other evening after dinner for the last week. Instead of going to the caves, he stopped in the trees, removed his clothes and shifted. He took off running, moving as fast as he could to get away from the pack. He needed to do this on his own. He was sure now this was the only way. Of course, the others didn’t find Tommy. They couldn’t feel him like Isaac could!

Isaac ran toward the area that Frank had said he last saw Tommy. Isaac felt like he was moving in slow motion. He wasn’t as familiar with the territory as Tommy and the other warrior wolves. For a moment, he cursed the fact that he was the Shaman and didn’t get warrior training. He quickly shook that thought away. Being the Shaman was going to help him find Tommy. He lost Tommy’s scent. He sat back on his haunches and let out a howl full of anger and pain.

With his head drooped, he headed back to the cave, thinking that maybe, hopefully, something would come to him. He was sure that Tommy had no idea where he was other than a cold dark dungeon. It wasn’t until he got to the edge of the woods that Isaac felt the pull. He didn’t know how he’d missed it the first time, but he could feel Tommy as if he were calling out to Isaac. He turned and followed it toward Tommy. Isaac let the connection he had with Tommy draw him further away from his home until he was crossing over the territory lines.

_Darren_ Isaac’s wolf all but growled out as he realized where he was heading and who had taken Tommy.

Anger took over, and Isaac ran faster toward the Alpha’s house where he had spent so much time just months before. He’d never gone into the basement of Darren’s home when he was there training, but he knew, almost immediately, that Tommy had to be there.

He came upon the large house, and Tommy’s scent was stronger. Isaac’s wolf was torn between his need to save Tommy and the overwhelming feeling of warmth and home he got from being so close to his mate. His wolf let out a low growl as he got closer. He wanted to rush in there, rip out throats and find his mate. Instead, he moved as close as he could to the house. He couldn’t howl out to Tommy as much as his wolf wanted to. That would alert them he was there. Shifting was not an option, if he were found as a human, a naked human at that, he was knew Darren would try to kill him. When he heard the whimper coming from the basement, he knew it was Tommy and that he had picked up on his scent.

_Tommy…I’m here, but I have to go get help. I’ll be back._

Isaac heard the faintest whisper of ‘mate’ as he turned and ran as fast as he could back to Eber.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

Tommy woke up when Isaac’s scent filled his senses. He shifted out of his wolf form and tried to get closer, trying to do anything that would soothe the pain he felt from being locked in the cell. Isaac’s voice filled his head. He was there, outside, and going to go back to the pack to get help.

“Mate” Tommy whimpered before shifting back to his wolf, and he hoped they made it sooner rather than later.

When he woke up again, he was sure it had been all a dream. Nothing had changed. Tommy was still locked in the cage, the tray of bread and broth saw inside his door just as it had every morning. Tommy wondered how someone came and went every day without him knowing. He was trained to track, yet his senses were failing him.

“Fuck,” Tommy grumbled. If his senses weren’t alerting him to someone outside the door, he was sure that feeling Isaac outside had all been a dream. Tommy sunk down to the ground, wrapped his arms around his legs and finally let the tears fall.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)

Isaac didn’t stop to knock once he arrived at the Lambert’s house; nor did he care that he was naked. He found Adam sitting in the living room with a midly shocked expression on his face.

“Umm, Isaac? Yeah, let me just, here,” Adam said as he handed Isaac a blanket before running up the stairs for what Isaac hoped was a pair of pants.

Isaac got the blanket wrapped around himself just as Eber came into the room.

“I found him!” Isaac yelled out a little louder than he meant to. “Darren took him. He’s in the basement of Darren’s house; it’s some kind of dungeon. I was there and could feel him. I came back for help. I can’t take him on alone.”

“You’re not taking him on at all. You’ll stay here. I’ll take Adam and the warriors,” Eber said as he grabbed his phone.

“No. He’s my mate. I won’t wait here for him. I can help. I will _not_ stay here,” Isaac replied sternly. He knew he was out of place talking to his Alpha that way, but this was Tommy, not just someone in the pack.

Isaac could see Eber’s face change, and he knew he was going. “You do as I say. No hero shit. Don’t make me force you to follow orders.”

Isaac recognized the threat and nodded. Adam came down and tossed some pants to Isaac as Eber called Randal. By the time Isaac had slipped the pants on, some of the warriors there.

“…I already talked to Gerard,” Eber continued as Isaac sat down next to Adam, “and he’s sending some of his warriors to meet up with us as well as Mikey. We are _not_ going in there to fight. We’re going to get Tommy back. If we have to draw blood, so be it. Brian, go with Isaac so he can get what he needs. I don’t want anyone shifting unless we have to. We’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”

Isaac hopped up and headed out of the house. He was halfway home before Brian caught up to him. Brian waited on the porch as he ran inside and got some herbs that he might need if Tommy were hurt more than Isaac realized. Once he had everything in his bag, he ran back out the door.

“You ready?” Brian asked as he nodded at Isaac’s bag.

“Gonna have to be,” he replied as the two men took off to where Eber wanted to meet.

By the time they arrived, Eber was waiting for them with warriors from both packs as well as Mikey and Frank. Isaac felt a little out of place surrounded by all the powerful wolves, but at the same time, he felt reassured that they would be able to get Tommy out of the hell he was currently in. The walk through the woods seemed to drag on even though they were moving closer to rescuing Tommy. Isaac knew it would be faster to shift, but Eber wanted to be diplomatic about it, not go storming in as if he were starting a war.

The closer they got to the house, the more jittery Isaac felt. He wanted this to be over with, and he wanted Tommy home safe, not caged up like some monster. As they traveled, he was trying not to let his mind wander to everything that could go wrong. Eber was strong and powerful. Isaac knew this, yet his wolf was still on edge and he couldn’t stop thinking about all the horrible things that could happen.

Isaac snapped out of his thoughts when he almost ran into Brain. He hadn’t realized they’d stopped and were in the wooded area close to Darren’s home.

“Wait here,” Eber instructed all the wolves. He left with Mikey and walked toward the house. Isaac watched, his wolf growing more on edge the closer Eber got to the house. As Eber knocked on the door, Isaac saw wolves lurking in the shadows. He didn’t know how Eber had missed them, or maybe he knew they were there and was still hoping for this to be peaceful.

Behind him, he could hear the movement of the warriors. He knew they were stripping and shifting. Isaac didn’t have to turn to see that. A moment later, he saw the line of wolves surround him while they watched their Alpha and Beta as Darren stepped out of the house.

“What are you doing on my land?” Darren hissed.

“You have my warrior. I’m here to take him home,” Eber said calmly as he moved closer to Darren. “I would prefer to do this the easy way, but either way, he’s coming home with us.”

“If I’d known he meant so much to you, I would have tortured him more. You can have him when you give me your pack and your land, Eber. You have a powerful Shaman there, and I want him under my control.”

“Give. Me. Tommy,” Eber gritted out as he towered over Darren. Isaac was sure he was trying not to shift and rip Darren’s throat out.

Darren laughed and turned to walk back into his house. Isaac blinked. Eber shifted and pounced on Darren. He pinned Darren onto his back, but before he could do any damage, Eber was hit on the side by the two wolves that Isaac had spotted in the shadows. That attack on Eber had the warriors running out of the woods to protect their Alpha. Isaac wanted to go fight, take Darren by the throat and rip it out for what he had done to Tommy.

_Go now, Isaac._

Isaac shifted and moved through the trees until he was at the back of the house. He was never so glad to see so many trees and shadows as he was right then! Tommy was calling him, and somehow even Eber had felt it. The plan was never for him to go and get Tommy, but when he heard the order from Eber, he knew what it meant. Just as he was about to step out of the tree line, he was joined by another wolf. He let out a growl at the wolf, ready to fight, when he saw the wolf shift enough that Isaac could recognize Frank. He backed down and nodded at Frank. The two of them made their way toward the back door. Isaac was surprised at how easily they managed to slip inside and hoped it didn’t mean there was something bad waiting for them.

The feeling of Tommy’s heartbeat got stronger when they stepped into the house. Isaac realized right away that he was going to have to shift if they were going to get any doors open. He shifted, not caring that his pants were in the woods with his bag. Frank followed him, still as his wolf, as Isaac opened up what seemed like door after door. The house was eerily quiet. The only sound seemed to be their footsteps and the opening and closing of the doors. Isaac was sure he had never seen so many rooms and closets in his life. When Isaac found the locked door, he was sure that it would lead them to the dungeon. His wolf wanted to break everything down just to get to Tommy. Frank pushed Isaac away with his snout before backing up and putting all his weight into forcing the door open.

“Fuck!” Isaac hissed when the door didn’t budge. “Stay here, I’m going to find a key.” He’d seen a desk when they first came in and ran back. He dug through the drawers until he found a key. He grabbed it and went back to Frank. Isaac sighed in relief when the door opened to reveal a set of stone steps. The dampness of the dungeon hit him immediately as he sprinted down the stairs. At the bottom, there were two hallways, all lined with cells. Isaac shivered as he tried to ignore the thoughts of what Darren was planning on doing with them. Noise from the fight outside suddenly filled the air. Isaac wasn’t sure if he was glad they were still distracting Darren or irritated that he wasn’t dead yet.

“This way,” Isaac whispered, leading Frank down the hall where he could feel Tommy. He gripped the key in his hand as they walked quickly down the dark, damp hallway.

“Isaac?” a voice asked, and Isaac started running when he realized it was Tommy calling out to him.

Isaac’s arms shook as he slipped the key into the lock. If this didn’t work, he wasn’t sure what to do. He hadn’t seen another key, and they didn’t have the time to look for one. “Please, please, please,” chanted through his head until he heard the door unlock and he was pushing inside.

“You came for me,” Tommy said as Isaac walked across the room to Tommy. Isaac could feel relief wash over his body. As soon as he was close enough, he gently placed his hands over Tommy’s cheeks and kissed him slowly and carefully.

“Let’s get you out of here and home,” Isaac whispered against Tommy’s lips. “Can you shift? We can get home and get you better. Then we need to talk.”

Tommy nodded and let his body shift. Isaac shifted and followed Tommy out of the room. Tommy stopped and looked back toward his mate. Isaac nodded as he moved to lead them out of the basement and back to freedom. He couldn’t help himself, when his wolf stopped just for a moment to nuzzle against Tommy.

They made it out of the house and into the woods undetected. Isaac led them back to where he’d left his bag. He looked down to see blood across the grass and Darren’s obviously dead body. He shifted and slipped on his pants before digging through his bag. He was glad he didn’t need much of what he had in there. Tommy moved slower than he usually did, but Isaac couldn’t feel the wave of pain like he had a week ago.

“Tommy, I need you to shift so I can check you over before we head home, okay?” Isaac asked as he pulled a jar of cream out of a bag.

Frank backed away as Tommy shifted. Isaac was sure it was Frank’s way of giving them some privacy without leaving them unguarded. Even with Darren dead, it didn’t mean that they were safe in his territory.

“Hi,” Tommy said softly as he looked up at Isaac.

“Hi,” Isaac replied as he moved closer. “What did he do to you?”

“They shot me with an dart, in my shoulder. I think it had some kind of drug on it. They were probably drugging my food too. I just slept so much; everything seemed to be in a haze. Do you know why this happened to me?”

“Darren wanted the pack, and me,” Isaac said as he opened the jar and dipped his fingers in. “Here, this will help some with the pain.”

Tommy hissed as Isaac carefully worked the cream into the wound. He was sure it’d healed a lot in the time since Tommy was shot, but he wanted to make sure it wasn’t infected. Isaac saw Tommy look toward the house when he was done.

“He’s gone. Someone killed him,” Isaac whispered as he let his fingers slide down Tommy’s arm and around his waist to pull him closer. “I’m glad you’re safe. Now let’s call the pack and get outta here.”

Frank let out a howl as Tommy shifted back to his wolf form. Isaac watched the warriors turn to look at them. He knew that Eber would know the howl meant Tommy, Isaac and Frank left to go back home. Isaac was sure that Eber and Mikey had some work to do to make sure the packs were safe before leaving. With his mate at his side and Frank there in case they had trouble, they made it home in no time.

  
[ ](http://photobucket.com)   


“Is it weird?” Tommy asked after he’d finally convinced Isaac he was going to be fine. “I mean, us being...us?”

“Maybe? I don’t want it to be weird. I think our wolves knew something we didn’t want to admit. Well, at least something I didn’t want to admit,” Isaac said as he moved closer to Tommy on the couch. “I was afraid admitting how I felt would fuck up what we had.”

Tommy let out a laugh as he pulled Isaac closer. “So instead we ended up as mates. How? Did Eber have any ideas?”

“Kinda. He thinks it’s because we’ve always been us, ya know? We were closer to each other than any other cubs in the pack. So add in me being a Shaman, and well, it happened.”

“So, does that mean,” Tommy paused to lean down and leave a trail of kisses down Isaac’s throat, “that I get to really make you mine now? I don’t have to worry about the other wolves getting to you first?”

“Aww, you were jealous, Tommy Joe!” Isaac laughed as he climbed onto Tommy’s lap to kiss him. He brushed their lips together and reached up to wrap his hands around Tommy’s neck, careful of the shoulder that was still injured.

Tommy’s tongue slid against Isaac’s lips until he opened up for him. All the worry Isaac’d had about things becoming awkward between them was pushed away as Tommy gripped his waist and he rolled their hips together. He broke the kiss and stood up, pulling Tommy with him toward the bedroom.

Isaac was kissing Tommy again as soon as they entered the room. He kicked the door shut with his foot before he led the other man to the bed.

“We’re wearing far too much clothing,” Isaac moaned into Tommy’s ear as he reached for the other man’s pants.

Isaac made quick work of slipping off Tommy’s pants and underwear before reaching for his own. He tossed the clothing aside and looked up to find his lover watching him, his eyes gone dark with lust. Isaac leaned up, kissing Tommy again, pushing him back until his he felt the other man’s legs hit the bed.

“Let me take care of you, please,” Isaac whispered softly as Tommy lay back.

“Please,” Tommy breathed out as Isaac climbed onto the bed and straddled Tommy’s legs.

Isaac leaned down and kissed Tommy again with all this desire. Their cocks rubbed together as Isaac rolled his hips. The men kissed until they had to break for air. Isaac could feel his wolf pushing at him, the need to be with his mate was even stronger now that he was so close.

“Need you,” Isaac breathed out as he trailed kisses across Tommy’s jaw and down his neck. Isaac stopped when he reached the tender skin of Tommy’s collarbone to suck a mark that he was sure would still be there in the morning. Tommy bucked his hips up as his lover moved over his body, leaving a trail of kisses and bite marks.

Isaac’s wolf wanted to taste all of Tommy, leave his scent all over his lover’s body. He wanted to mark and claim his mate, and he was sure Tommy felt the same way. He could feel Tommy pushing his wolf down, trying to keep it under control as much as Isaac was.

“Fuck, Isaac, I want you, now,” Tommy said, his voice broken.

Isaac reached for the lube and slicked up his fingers before tossing the bottle on the bed. Reaching behind him, Isaac slipped two fingers inside himself, hissing slightly at the stretch.

“Gonna ride you, babe. Wanna feel you deep inside me,” Isaac moaned out as he worked his finger in and out of his body. “I want you to mark me as yours, let everyone smell you on me.”

“Jesus fuck,” Tommy gasped out as he watched Isaac add a third finger to work himself open. “I wanna feel you on me, need to feel you.”

Isaac let his fingers slip out, his wolf whimpering a little at what was coming next. He grabbed the lube and slicked up Tommy’s cock before climbing back over his lover. Tommy grabbed his cock as Isaac sank down until he was fully seated.

“Fuck,” they both hissed out.

Before moving Isaac leaned down and kissed Tommy. When he started to roll his hips, Tommy broke away and breathed heavily into Isaac’s ear. Tommy grabbed at Isaac’s hips hard enough that Isaac knew there would be bruises. Isaac sat up, bracing his arm on the other man’s chest and moved up and down, increasing his speed as his mate thrust his hips up. Isaac knew he wasn’t going to last long. His wolf had been waiting for this for too long. When Tommy reached for his cock and started stroking it in time with the thrusts, Isaac could feel his orgasm pooling deep inside of him. He let out a noise that was something between a moan and howl as spilled all over Tommy’s hand and chest. Tommy’s thrusts turned erratic as Isaac’s body clenched around his cock, and he, too was coming, deep inside his mate.

Isaac’s arms gave out, and he collapsed beside Tommy as they waited for their breathing to return to normal. Isaac rolled onto his side and smiled at the blissed out expression on Tommy’s face.

“Shower?” he asked already starting to climb out of bed.

Tommy reached out to grab Isaac’s wrist to stop him. “Mine,” he whispered and pulled Isaac back into bed with him.

“You really do want the pack to know that, don’t you?” Isaac asked with a smile on his face. “Fine, let me at least get something to clean us up a little.”

Climbing out of bed again, Isaac cleaned himself up before returning with a wet cloth to clean up his mate as well. Tommy was almost asleep. It had been a long day and an even longer week. When Isaac finished cleaning him, he tossed the cloth aside and climbed back into bed. Tommy pulled him closer until Isaac’s head was lying on Tommy’s chest.

“Mate...” Tommy mumbled as he snuggled into Isaac.

“Mate,” Isaac whispered before falling asleep, his wolf happy to finally have Tommy where he belonged.

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com)


End file.
